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German tornado outbreak of 1944
the 'German tornado outbreak of 1944 '''was a intense tornado outbreak which impacted portions of Bavaria, Austria and the Sudetenland (now a part of the Czech Republic) on May 13, 1944. The outbreak produced 21 tornadoes, a record in central Europe at the time. It also produced a extremely intense T11 tornado near Munich. The outbreak was widely unknown to the outside world until 1956. Meteorological history According to mesoscale analysis by the United States Weather Bureau for Europe on the evening of May 12, it showed a strong storm system moving south from the British Isles and into northern France and the Low Countries. German weather analysis maps from the early morning of May 13 showed the system stationed near the Dutch-German border. By early afternoon, the USWB published another weather observation map, showing a very intense low entering Bavaria. Thunderstorms likely began to pop up around this time. A German soldier reported a funnel cloud at 2:27 p.m local time, near Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany. This funnel wasn't quite reaching the ground, however a tornado was on the ground, just without the condensation funnel. This tornado would go on to tear off the roofs of several poorly constructed houses, and killed 1 German soldier. Early German doppler radar systems showed a thunderstorm with apparent high-cloud tops moving in a southeastward direction towards Augsburg at 2:40 p.m, this thunderstorm would go on to produce the two most intense tornadoes of the day. At 2:44 p.m, a tornado was confirmed northwest of Augsburg, this tornado moved slowly southeast, with several brick homes being obliterated just west of Augsburg. 17 people were killed in this tornado, however it narrowly avoided direct impact with Augsburg. This tornado was rated a T8/F4 in 1999 by the World Meteorological Organization, although it was originally rated a T10/F5 by the German government until 1997. Meanwhile, further to the east, less violent supercells were producing isolated spin-up tornadoes in far eastern Bavaria and the Sudetenland. The strongest tornado produced by these supercells was a T5/F2 near Rozvadov, Sudetenland, Germany. This tornado would knock down the outer walls of various poorly constructed homes, and would kill 30. Finally, the strongest tornado of the outbreak spawned from the same supercell that had produced the Augsburg T8/F4 at 3:37 p.m, this tornado touched down about 10 miles northwest of Munich, and traveled southeast, devastating a German military base, and killing 94 German soldiers in the process, causing T9-T10/F4-F5 damage at that location. The tornado, from here, caused nearly "unprecedented" damage in northwestern Munich, causing widespread T10-T11/F5 damage. The tornado was seen as the strongest on record in Europe, with estimated peak winds of 320-330 mph. The tornado rapidly weakened before it hit downtown Munich, causing mostly T5-T8/F2-F4 damage for the remainder of it's life. However, several houses continued to sustain T10/F5 damage from the tornado in downtown Munich. This tornado remains the only official T11 tornado on record in Europe, and is often considered the most intense on record in Germany. The tornado finally lifted at 4:31 p.m, roughly 20 miles southeast of Munich. At 5:00 p.m Munich time, the United States Weather Bureau released a updated weather map, showing the intense low over Yugoslavia. The severe threat began to die down, with the last notable tornado being a T5/F2 near Vienna shortly after sunset. Notable tornadoes Ansbach, Germany The first tornado of the day, the Ansbach tornado saw it's formation from a low cloud-topped supercell. A German soldier reported a funnel cloud at 2:27 p.m, and the tornado was likely already on the ground at this point. The tornado tracked northwest of Ansbach, causing widespread T0-T1/F0 damage, with a row of poorly constructed houses sustaining high-end T2/F1 damage. A German soldier was killed by flying debris produced by this tornado. Augsburg, Germany The second tornado, as well as the second most intense tornado of the day, this tornado formed from a strong supercell. The tornado moved very slowly for most of it's lifetime, producing damage comparable to the 2004 Harper, Kansas tornado. This tornado however, barely avoided disaster, as no deaths occurred and the tornado came within less than a mile of the northern edge of Augsburg. The tornado considerably weakened and lifted at 3:03 p.m. Rozvadov, Germany The second deadliest tornado of the outbreak, this tornado originated from a moderately intense supercell near the former German-Czechoslovak border that had been disestablished 8 years earlier. With no advance warning, the tornado slammed into Rozvadov, causing T5/F2 damage to various buildings, and killing 30 people. The tornado continued eastward, and started to weaken somewhat. The tornado lifted at 3:31 p.m just southeast of Rozvadov. Munich, Germany ''See main article here: 1944 Munich tornado One of the strongest tornadoes on record, this tornado touched down at 3:37 p.m, produced from the same supercell as the Augsburg T8 (see above). The tornado tracked southeastward, causing primarily T6-T7 (F3) damage to various structures northwest of Munich. However, around 3:45 p.m, the tornado explosively intensified into a T10 (F5) tornado as it approached a German military base, killing 96 German soldiers, including the commander of the base. The tornado continued southeast, causing cataclysmic damage in northwestern Munich, with damage even reaching T11 (F5) intensity in spots, the strongest tornado on record in Europe. One anchored house was torn out of the ground so violently that one of the anchors and some of the foundation securing it were torn out, suggesting T11 intensity. The tornado lifted at 4:31 p.m southeast of Munich.Category:Tornadoes